Shinnosuke Kawashima, the Tehran bureau chief of Japanese public broadcaster NHK, was arrested on January 20, 2026, by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to a source who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity, for fear of retaliation. He was initially held at a detention facility in northern Tehran before being transferred to Evin Prison on February 23.
The source said that NHK’s longtime videographer also had his passport confiscated along with his personal devices, including his phone, laptop, and camera. His wife’s cell phone was also reportedly seized. CPJ was unable to independently verify this information.
Another NHK staff member — whose identity CPJ is withholding for safety reasons — fled Iran in early February after being summoned multiple times following Kawashima’s arrest, according to the source.
On February 25, Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki confirmed that a Japanese national had been detained in Tehran on January 20, though he declined to identify the individual by name. Ozaki said the Japanese government had strongly demanded that Iranian authorities secure the detainee’s early release.
On April 7, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru said that a Japanese national detained in Iran since January 20 had been released on bail on April 6, local time. Speaking at a press conference, Kihara confirmed that the Japanese Embassy in Iran had verified the release and that the ambassador had met the individual, confirming they were in good health. He added that the person had not yet left Iran and that the government was continuing efforts to secure their unconditional release.
Although Japanese authorities did not disclose the individual’s identity, the timeline and available details strongly pointed to Kawashima. CPJ confirmed through informed sources, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, that he was the detainee.
CPJ’s email to the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York requesting comment did not receive a response.